The overall objective of the Clinical Research Center is to provide a physical and intellectual environment of high quality in which careful clinical investigation can be carried out and at the same time provide maximum regard for the patient's welfare and safety. This research facility is an important resource of the medical school - providing all faculty members (basic science as well as clinical) with an opportunity to conduct studies involving human subjects and their illnesses with precision and close supervision. The Center does not replace existing research resources within the sphere of the medical school but complements and extends those facilities. The Clinical Research Center facility exists primarily for the performance of only those studies which can not be accomplished with equal precision on existing wards of the affiliated hospitals of the medical school. In conjunction with clinical investigations utilizing the Clinical Research Center, we hope to improve the teaching of students and house staff with the new knowledge obtained through the careful study of patients. We anticipate that knowledge gained through research will also improve patient care within the hospital generally and the medical community at large. The Center should be viewed not only as a medical school resource but as a significant community resource.